Knockout's Choice
by ArmorOfDay
Summary: Knockout and Bumblebee are ambushed by MECH, and need to work together to escape. Afterwards, Knockout has a choice to make concerning the young scout.


'How the pit did I get into this situation?' Knockout thought as he dove for cover.

Gunfire stitched the ground behind him as the red Decepticon jumped behind a boulder, followed by a yellow and black mech. Pulling out his blaster, Knockout fired back at the armed soldiers chasing them.

"My comm's still out! Any chance you've gotten through to your team?" Knockout asked.

Bumblebee shook his head, his comm just a bunch of static. Whatever kind of jammer that MECH was using, it was a very effective one. Without their comms working, he and Knockout couldn't call for backup or a groundbridge home. They were on their own.

"We need to get out of here before they do to us what they tried to do to Breakdown," the red sports car said firmly.

The yellow scout shuddered at the memory of finding Breakdown's optic lying on a crate. The nerve cabling had still been attached to it.

+I already lost my voice,+ Bumblebee beeped. +I don't want to lose anything else.+

The pair's conversation was cut short when a tossed grenade landed at their feet. They scrambled out of the blast range as fast as they could, dodging the armor-piercing bullets whizzing by.

"How the pit did I get into this situation?!" Knockout cried.

*several hours earlier*

Bumblebee beeped good-bye to Raf as he dropped him off for school before heading out of the city. He didn't have patrol duty for several hours, and decided he would spend his free time away from the base. Maybe he would cut across the desert and simply drive around for a while. He loved his teammates like family but sometimes it felt good to be alone with his thoughts.

The yellow scout turned on his radio and picked out a music station with a good clear signal as he headed out. He was looking forward to exploring the desert scenery.

*at the Decepticon ship*

Knockout groaned and stretched as he finally finished repairing the last of his patients. There had been an accident in one of the energon mines, and a large number of Vehicons had been badly injured. Injuries that he now had to fix. Even with any Vehicon that could weld a straight line helping out with minor repairs, it had taken nearly 2 days to fix everyone up.

"I'm going out for a drive," Knockout said to Soundwave. "Call me if someone goes critical."

Calling for a groundbridge, Knockout left the ship and exited into the desert. He stretched again before transforming into his alt mode. Out here in the middle of nowhere, he could go as fast as he liked without having to worry about running into any Autobots or human police. While he could certainly handle a couple of humans, Megatron had made it crystal clear that he wanted to keep their presence on this planet a secret.

"Time for some speed," the red Decepticon said before revving his engine and driving off.

Bumblebee hummed along to the music as he drove along an old dirt road. He enjoyed human music more than music from Cybertron. There was just more variety of melody and styles here. He especially enjoyed rock from the mid-70's. He bopped to the beat, following the dusty trail.

After a while, the desert scrub gave way to a more forest-like region. Bee watched as small bushes and singular tufts of dry grass were replaced by trees and moss-covered rocks. The road he was driving on became rougher, but the scout didn't mind. If he had wanted to go driving on smooth asphalt, he could have stayed in the town. A bumpy road was a small price to pay for some quiet time.

Knockout was flipping through music stations trying to find something he liked. He hated human music, finding it to be repetitive and unoriginal. All the songs had the same theme or rhythm. Some so-called 'artists' would even perform songs that other people had already done.

After a while, he finally settled on a station that played what the humans called 'classical.' At least classical music wasn't always repeating itself every other song.

The Decepticon medic continued to drive along the empty road, noting that the desert was slowly giving way to a forest. Soon there were enough trees to block the view of the sand behind him. If one didn't know any better, one would never think that a desert was anywhere close.

It wasn't long before he hit a bumpy road, much to his displeasure.

"Oh for the love of- really?!"

The sports car hated dirt roads. He always got dirt and rocks stuck in his tires. But he supposed that was what he got for driving in the middle of nowhere.

Grumbling, he simply continued to drive the bumpy road, praying that it wouldn't last long.

Unnoticed by the Decepticon, a green laser point appeared on his side. The person aiming the laser was seated up on a knoll further up the road, looking through a pair of goggles that acted as binoculars with a HUD and night-vision.

"Target acquired. Should I engage?"

"Granted," came his commander's reply as he watched through the binoculars.

Raising one hand, the man signaled others hidden away in the trees. He then adjusted his aim and fired, the special gun shooting a bolt of energy that hit Knockout square on.

Knockout let out a startled yelp as he was hit with what felt like lightning. He could feel it sear through his systems, shorting them out.

The armored men rushed forward, swarming Knockout before he knew what was happening. They began to throw chains over the helpless mech, making sure that shifting to root mode would cause the iron links to entangle in his internal gears. At best, it would be painful. At worst, do enough damage to kill him.

"You will… regret this…" Knockout growled as he tried and failed to send an SOS.

"Unlikely," one of them said, raising his energy gun to fire another bolt.

But before he could fire, the gun was shot out of his hand. Bumblebee was standing in the road, having heard the commotion and hurried over. For a moment, he had been unsure whether or not to help Knockout. But seeing the man about to shoot a bot that couldn't fight back made him step in.

The young scout didn't bother trying to warn the humans away, knowing they wouldn't be able to understand his beeping. Being careful not to hurt them or Knockout, Bumblebee fired near them, forcing them to back away from the red sports car.

Knockout couldn't believe what he was seeing. He was being saved from a bunch of humans by an Autobot! Why? Why would an Autobot risk his life to help a Decepticon? It didn't make any sense.

Bee continued to fire close to the humans until their commander called a retreat. Once they were gone, Bee turned to the sports car and carefully removed the material off him.

"Th-thanks," Knockout said, a hiss of static in his voice from the energy weapon.

+You're welcome,+ Bumblebee replied. +Are you alright?+

"I think so. Why did you help me?"

He gave one simple answer. +No one should suffer at the hands of MECH.+

Knockout couldn't think of a reply to that. He simply transformed and made sure the humans and their chains and energy weapons hadn't left a dent in his plating. Or even worse, a scratch.

After making sure that his precious finish was intact, the Decepticon medic tried to send a comm for a groundbridge back to the ship. He was done with his alone time. But instead of one of Sooundwave's replies made from recorded clips, he got nothing but static.

"My comm is out."

+Let me try,+ Bee offered.

But like Knockout, all the yellow scout received was static.

"They're coming back with reinforcements," Knockout realized. "We need to get out of here."

+Follow me,+ Bee told him before walking away and transforming.

Knockout hesitated a moment before following him. He didn't want to be caught again, but relying for help from an Autobot was something he wasn't used to. But then again, if the humans come back, they might damage his finish.

Bumblebee lead the sports car back to the main road and tried to contact the Autobot base again.

"I don't think stopping here is a good idea," Knockout said. "There's no cover."

"Which is why it's the perfect spot for an ambush!" a voice cried before the ground around the pair was stitched with bullets.

Bumblebee cursed loudly before hitting the gas and speeding down the road with Knockout.

*present*

Knockout cried out as a bullet hit his leg just below the knee joint. It didn't hit anything vital, but it was painful and that alone made it hard to move.

Bee rushed to Knockout's side and looked around for the shooter. 'There must be a sniper out there,' he mused.

"Robots!" one of the men called out. "Surrender now or we will be forced to terminate you!"

"Yeah, like they aren't planning that anyway," Knockout muttered.

Bee stood in front of Knockout, protecting him from MECH.

"How sweet," the soldier sneered. "The yellow one is defending the other."

+We have names, you know!+

Of course, the soldiers didn't understand Bumblebee's electronic beeping. Not that they would have cared if they did. To them, the 2 Cybertronians were just more technology for them to abuse.

Bumblebee didn't show it, but he was growing increasingly nervous.

-We need to get out of here before they bring out their big guns,- Knockout said over a short range comm.

-I have an idea. I don't know if it will work though,- Bee replied.

-I'm all ears.-

Discreetly, Bumblebee removed a small device from a compartment in his hip.

-When this hits the ground it will explode on impact. When it does, drive.-

Knockout blinked at the young scout. -You've been carrying around an explosive device in your hip?-

-It's harmless until I activate it,- Bee replied simply.

-You Autobots are nuts.-

Bee shrugged. -It's Wheeljack who's the crazy one. You ready?-

-As ready as I'll ever be,- Knockout replied, shifting a little so he could rapidly change to alt mode.

Bee gave the small round device a squeeze. It hummed slightly, letting the scout know that it was now active.

+Now!+ he cried, throwing the device to the ground where it exploded on impact.

The men scattered out of the way, dodging rocks and other debris.

Knockout shifted into alt mode and revved his engine, taking off down the road like a shot. Bumblebee was right on his bumper.

"We need to get out of the range of their comm jammer!" Knockout shouted. "We were lucky it didn't affect our on-site comms."

+Let's just get out of this quadrant first!+ Bee shouted back.

"How did they know we were going to be there?" Knockout wondered. "I didn't even I was going to be there."

Bumblebee was silent for a moment. +I think I know! They must have a tracking device on one of us.+

"But if they had a tracking device on us, why didn't they attack sooner? They've certainly never attacked the Nemesis, and I'm assuming they haven't attacked your base either."

+It's hard to attack a moving target. And my base is shielded.+

"That makes sense," Knockout mused. "But you know what that means, right? You can't just drive back to your base. They'll figure it out when the signal disappears."

+Not if we go through a groundbridge portal,+ Bumblebee countered.

"Got to get out of here first!" Knockout cried, swerving to dodge a grenade.

The soldiers from MECH had somehow gotten a helicopter to their location and were doing everything they could to stop the 2 bots from escaping.

+We're gonna have to shoot it down!+ Bee shouted.

"I hope you're a good shot then!" Knockout shouted back.

Bumblebee hit a rise and shot up into the air. Once in the air, he transformed and twisted, shooting at the helicopter. The pilot was forced to bank away to keep bullets from shredding the rotor blades.

Cursing under his breath, Bumblebee fired again. This time the scout fired ahead of the helicopter, knowing that the blasts would hit the machine.

This time the pilot was unable to dodge, bullets clipping a fuel line and turning the vehicle into a fireball.

"Nice job," Knockout said. "Didn't know Autobots could be so ruthless. No one's getting out of that wreck."

Bumblebee didn't reply. He simply shook his head, then transformed and drove off.

'Was it something I said?' Knockout thought before following him.

Bumblebee drove on in silence, lost in his own thoughts. He hated that he had resorted to taking a life. Even though it had been them or the pilot, the scout had always been taught that all life was precious, and should never be taken lightly. He knew that he would always regret that human's death.

Behind him, Knockout followed as he checked and rechecked his comms. The moment he got out of the jammer range, he was going to call Soundwave and go home. But for some reason, the comms still only gave static. If he didn't know any better, the Decepticon medic would say the source of the jamming signal was following them.

+We've put enough distance between us and them. We should stop and see if they planted tracking equipment on one of us,+ Bumblebee finally said a half mile later.

"Good idea," Knockout said. "I don't want them showing up again."

The muscle cars skidded to a stop then transformed into their bipedal forms.

Knockout pulled out a scanner and made a few adjustments to it. He then gestured for Bumblebee to hold still as he ran the scanner over him.

Bumblebee did as he was asked, but remained alert for trouble.

"Nothing. You're clean," the red sports car said before handing him the scanner. "Now you scan me."

+Will do. Just hold still,+ Bee told him before giving the sports car a scan.

BEEP!

"Slag."

+Calm down, we just need to remove it.+

Knockout tried not to squirm as Bee reached for the tracker, though he wasn't very successful. He couldn't help it, he had always been ticklish.

+Stop squirming,= Bee said, trying not to laugh at the Decepticon's obvious discomfort.

"Stop tickling me," Knockout said through his giggles.

+I'm not!+ Bee snorted, finally managing to snag the device.

Knockout gave himself a shake once the scout's fingers were free. "I've been ticklish ever since I was a sparkling. The tiniest touch to my wires sets me off."

+Good to know,+ Bumblebee smirked. +So should I break this or simply chuck it off into the distance?+

"Chuck it," the red sports car said. "They don't know we found the bug. They might be trying to sneak up on us."

Bumblebee nodded, then chucked the small device as far as he could.

"Let's get out of here before we get caught again," Knockout said before transforming and racing off.

Bumblebee couldn't agree more as he transformed as well and took off after the red sports car.

A few miles down the road, Knockout's radar picked up something heading towards them. "Um, please tell me you Autobots have added someone who becomes a helicopter."

+We have not,+ Bee replied, dread in his voice.

"Then we need to leave. Right now."

+Agreed.+

Knockout floored his accelerator and sped off down the road with Bumblebee hot on his bumper. Behind them a black helicopter rose above the tree line, the beat of its blades sending a chill through the Decepticon's spinal strut.

'This is ridiculous! How do they keep finding us?!' Bee wondered.

"We tossed the tracker! What are they using, magic?!" Knockout shouted, starting to feel paranoid about the whole ordeal.

+You're asking me?!+ Bee shouted back. +What… what if we split up?+

"Fine by me!"

The pair suddenly split and went in different directions, hoping that they could lose their pursuers.

Knockout zoomed down a side road that was barely more than a footpath through the trees. For once he didn't care about the scratches in his paint from various branches. He knew that MECH would do far worse to him. Things that paints and wax wouldn't be able to fix. Looking back, he was relieved to see the helicopter was banking to follow Bumblebee.

'Sorry, kiddo,' he thought. 'But better you than me.'

Bumblebee put the petal to the metal when he saw the helicopter following him. 'I wonder if I can shoot this one down as well.'

As though the pilot could hear Bee's thoughts, a barrage of bullets rained down on the young scout. Armor piercing rounds zinged through the air, puffs of dust rising from the holes they left in the dirt. Bumblebee tried not to panic as he was being fired upon.

The side helicopter door opened and a man in armor leaned out. In his hand was some kind of sphere, too big to be a grenade but otherwise unidentifiable. The man poked the sphere in 3 places before chucking it at Bee. His aim was incredible. Despite the speed and quick twisting from the Autobot, the sphere hit him square in the middle of his rear bumper. Then it went off.

The sudden jolt caused the yellow scout to let out a sharp cry of shock and slight pain. He spun off the dirt road and barely managed to miss a massive boulder. All of his sensors were fried and none of his controls responded.

A flock of cars had been following the helicopter from a safe distance. As soon as Bee had been hit by the energy pulse, they zoomed onto the scene and surrounded him.

Bee could sense the world around him slowly beginning to fade. It wasn't long before his entire world went black.

The armored men wasted no time in making sure Bumblebee wouldn't be able to make any trouble for them. They put boots on all 4 wheels and wrapped chains around his hood, trunk, and doors. He was then strapped to the bed of a large truck and driven away.

Knockout was happy to see the edge of the forest recede in his rearview mirror. The static in his comm link had faded away too. He wanted to send a request for a groundbridge, but every time he tried he kept thinking about a certain Autobot. The young scout that had saved his life by jumping in to challenge MECH when they had the petite Decepticon helpless. The young scout that was probably about to be captured while he just drove away without a moment's hesitation.

'Breakdown was captured by MECH,' Knockout thought. 'He was captured and Megatron told us not to save him. But the Autobots just went in and rescued him even though we're enemies.'

'They butchered Breakdown… they'll do the same to Bumblebee,' he realized, his speed slowing. 'Or even worse than simply dissecting him. Who knows what kind of sick things they'd do?'

Fear gripped his spark at the thought. Said thought also caused him to slam on his brakes.

'They're going to kill him, and I'm just going to run away? Am I really that much of a coward?'

Flashes of Breakdown stumbling, beaten and bloody, into his medbay snuck into his mind, and Knockout shivered at the disturbing memory. The picture in his mind became even more disturbing when Breakdown seemed to blur and shift into Bumblebee. Normally bright yellow plating was blackened with scorch marks and dripping with energon. Blue optics were shattered and dark, yet still stared at him with fear, despair, and betrayal.

Screaming with rage, Knockout quickly and recklessly went into reverse, performed a crazy U-turn, and flew down the road.

He hurt. That was the first thought that entered Bee's mind as he slowly began to come back online. He hurt a lot. Jolts of energy were running throughout his frame, keeping him from moving and making him wish he were still out cold. What was going on?

"Ah, you're awake. Good," a voice from somewhere on his left said.

+Where am I?+ Bee beeped, forgetting for a moment that he wouldn't be understood.

From out of the side, a grey-haired man stepped into the scout's line of sight. Bee stiffened in fear. He recognized the man instantly - Silas, the ruthless head of MECH. He was a man responsible for a lot of pain.

Silas smiled when he saw the fear in the scout's eyes. "I'm sure you know who I am."

Stuck in alt mode, the young Autobot couldn't even nod in reply. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak, and the humans couldn't understand his beeping. He couldn't communicate in any way. And that scared him as much as any torture he could imagine.

"Like we did with the Decepticon, we are going to open you up."

From the corner of his optics, Bumblebee could see men setting up machinery. The kind that one would find in a car factory. But instead of making cars, this time they would tear one apart.

Silas turned to one of his men. "Are his pain receptors disabled?"

"No, sir. We can't access them with the robot in vehicle form."

"That's a shame. No mater, the equipment will drown out any noise he makes."

Bee shivered at the implication.

"Shall we get started?"

The man nodded and stepped forward, holding up a circular saw. After a few tugs on the starter line, the engine caught and turned over with a roar. At least it sounded like a roar to Bumblebee's audios, watching the spinning blade inch closer and closer.

Silas gripped the rail as he watched the saw draw closer to the hood. They had only gotten an optic from their last prisoner, and yet just that relatively simply device had given them enough information to make them a lot of money. He couldn't wait to see what wonders their captive would give them this time.

Letting out an electronic screech of pain, Bumblebee shook hard as he tried to pull away from the blade cutting into his frame. Sparks flew as metal ground against metal, leaving little black marks in his yellow paint.

"We're through the hood, sir," one of Silas's men said a moment later.

"Only a matter of time now," Silas said softly.

Bumblebee felt numb, not because his pain sensors had been turned off, but out of sheer horror. Due to his alt mode's design, a lot of sensitive circuits and organs were under his hood. And now everything was exposed and vulnerable. He was being dissected alive!

Silas lifted his hand as the hood fell away and the buzz saw stopped.

"You should feel honored. You're contributing to MECH's evolution," Silas said to Bee.

Angry, Bee gave his horn a short loud honk. Even not being able to talk, he was sure the scarred human got the message.

Silas simply chuckled and motioned for his men to move in to perform the delicate work.

Bee couldn't help it. He panicked. He thrashed against the chains as hard as he could, revving his engine to try to force his way out. The whirling gears made some of the men back up for a minute to avoid getting their hands caught. Unfortunately, they simply jabbed him with an electric prod to stop his movements.

"There is no point in fighting. No one knows you're here," Silas said.

Knockout had tailed one of their cars. He knew he was getting close to Bumblebee's location. He just had to get far enough in before destroying everything in sight.

None of the guards had spotted Knockout yet, which was rather surprising. Most of the vehicles were dark-painted jeeps and SUVs. The flashy red sports car could not be more out of place if he tried.

'Humans aren't that smart after all,' Knockout mused as he continued to follow them from a distance.

Soon enough the small troupe of cars entered what looked like a cave in a hillside but turned out to have a tunnel leading down to a hidden set of doors.

While remaining in stealth mode, Knockout managed to slip inside.

Bee keened in pain, unable to do anything but watch as men picked at his insides. Fortunately, nothing that had been removed was vital and could be replaced somewhat easily. But it still slagging hurt!

Silas watched as what was removed was then placed in a large transport cooler so that the cargo could be looked over at a later date. He smirked when he saw one of the mechanics reach for a piece of tech that he recognized. A piece of tech that would make his organization the most powerful in the world.

NO! Not his T-cog again! Bee thrashed as hard as he could, trying to stop them from removing the precious organ. He had almost lost it once, he didn't want to lose it permanently! Without his T-cog, he'd be helpless in a fight, unable to transform or even bring out his guns.

At that exact moment, he doors to the makeshift operating room seemed to spontaneously explode into a million pieces, startling everyone in the room.

The man that had been about to cut out the young Autobot's T-cog jerked back, dropping his laser scalpel to Bee's emmense relief. But what had caused the explosion? Stuck in vehicle mode, he couldn't turn his head to look.

Knockout smirked as he stepped into the room, sonic blaster attached to his wrist. He had forgotten that he had it in his subspace. Until now anyway.

Quickly getting over their shock, the armored men grabbed their guns and started firing at the Decepticon. Knockout simply used the sonic blaster again; only this time he pointed it at the ground, sending shock waves through the floor.

The men were knocked off their feet, bullets flying everywhere as guns were waved wildly. Bee flinched when he felt one hit his bumper.

Knockout deactivated the sonic blaster then rushed over to Bumblebee and gave him a quick once over. "Did they take anything important?"

+No,+ Bee replied, surprised to see Knockout. He couldn't believe that the Decepticon had risked his life to save him. +You got here just in time.+

"Had to do a little spark searching beforehand," the medic admitted. "Let's get you out of that."

Bumblebee managed not to flinch as Knockout's saw cut through the chains. As soon as they were off him, he transformed and quickly stretched his joints. Bee then brought out his blasters, determined not to be captured again.

+Let's get out of here,+ he said.

"Agreed," Knockout replied before heading towards the door.

+Thank you,+ Bee said as he followed him. +For coming after me.+

"No one, Autobot or Decepticon, should suffer at the hands of those butchers," Knockout replied. "Isn't that what you said?"

Bumblebee nodded, shuddering as he thought about just how close he had come to losing his T-cog.

"You 2 aren't going anywhere!"

Knockout turned around, then cried out in surprise as he was fired upon.

+Knockout!+ Bee cried, optics wide at the sight of mech blood. He whipped around to see Silas crouching behind a railing. The man was holding a large weapon, aiming it at them.

"You can thank your friend for this piece of hardware," Silas panted.

Knockout glared at the human, hate blazing in his optics.

Bumblebee recognized the gun as one that Breakdown used to have. Silas must have converted it to shoot human bullets. Bullets that could pierce Cybertronian armor.

Knockout's optic twitched as anger gripped his spark. 'This human must pay.'

+We need to get out of here,+ Bee whispered.

"Fine, but first this vermin must pay for what he's done," Knockout replied.

+Pay? He's trying to kill us! We gotta go!+

"Then go! He and I have unfinished business regarding my former partner."

+I'm not leaving here without you!+ Bee said.

Knockout pointed the sonic blaster at Bumblebee. "Go. Now."

Bee's optics widened, looking at Knockout in shock. +Knockout?+

Knockout shoved Bee towards the blown-out door. "Go!"

Stumbling over his feet, Bee ran towards the door. Coolant pooled up in his optics as he ran, making it hard to see. He tried to tell himself that it was what Knockout wanted, and that he was an enemy anyway. But he knew the real reason he was running was because he was afraid. And he hated himself for it. He hated himself for his fear and for leaving Knockout behind.

Knockout dodged the barrage of bullets that Silas fired at him. He was going to rip that filthy human to pieces!

The sound of gunfire rang loud in Bee's audios as he ran. His entire frame shook with sobs to the point he thought his fuel tank would purge, but he couldn't stop it. He had faced down death so many times, fought countless Decepticons, even had his vocalizer ripped from his throat, but the thought of going back to where he had been chained down and nearly dissected terrified him.

'I'm a coward…'

"You are going to pay for what you did to my partner!" Knockout shouted.

Silas just laughed and continued firing at the mech, not caring a wit about anything Knockout had to say.

Bee made it to the edge of the forest and came to a stop, intakes struggling to bring in air. He looked over his shoulder at the compound just barely in sight. Was he really going to do this? Was he going to flee for his life when Knockout had risked his? The young scout imagined getting back to the base and telling Optimus what had happened. The older mech had been like a father to Bee, and he could picture the disappointment in his optics when he heard that Bee had left behind someone who needed him.

Knockout hissed in pain as a bullet slammed into his shoulder. The human's aim was getting better, preventing him from getting any closer.

'Optimus would go back,' Bee thought. 'He'd go and save Knockout and he wouldn't even think about it.'

Knockout was bleeding from several well-placed shots.

"We learned a few things from your partner," Silas said with a sneer. "Mainly where the weak spots were. I'm going to enjoy opening you up."

Looking into the trees then at the compound, Bumblebee came to a decision. Before he could change his mind, he cycled in a deep breath of air, transformed into his alt mode, and drove helter-skelter back to the compound. He drove around to the back of the building, using the sounds of gunfire inside to guide him. If he judged it right, he could come through the wall right on top of Silas.

Silas was just playing with Knockout now. He knew it was only a matter of time before the sports car bled out. Knockout's optics were hazy; he was losing too much energon. The best he could do was simply dodge, but he didn't know how long he could keep it up.

Reaching the spot, Bee transformed back to root mode and blasted at the wall. It only took a few shots to break through and he leaped into the hole. The room was full of dust and gun smoke so Bee switched to infrared sensors. He easily spotted Silas crouching behind some rubble, aiming his blaster at Knockout. Bee darted forward and knocked the gun away from the startled mercenary before backhanding him into the wall. Not bothering to see if the man was ok or not, the young scout hurried over to Knockout's side.

+Hold on. I'm going to get you out of here.+

"I thought I told you to leave," Knockout rasped before coughing up energon.

+You didn't abandon me, I'm not going to abandon you,+ Bee said, putting an arm under the petite mech's shoulder to support him.

"That human… must pay…" Knockout said with a wince.

+Forget Silas,+ Bee insisted. +If you keep this up, you're going to die.+

"He has… to pay. He… butchered my partner. My… lover…" Knockout's optics were clouded with more than just pain. It was anguish.

+How do you think Breakdown is going to feel if he butchers you?+ Bee asked pointedly as he half-dragged Knockout to the exit.

Knockout muttered something under his breath as he let Bumblebee drag him from the room. He was fighting to stay conscious, but it was a losing battle. He tried to stay awake, knowing that if he lost consciousness, he ran the risk of falling into a coma.

Making it to the edge of the forest again, Bumblebee tried his comm on the off-chance that it was working. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that it did. Whatever MECH had been using to jam their signals must have been damaged during the fighting. Bee quickly commed Ratchet to inform him of the situation. Knockout needed immediate medical attention and there was no way Bee was going to even try to contact the Nemesis.

A groundbridge portal opened a few feet away from the pair; a moment later Optimus and Ratchet ran through it to help the scout.

Ratchet gave the pair a quick scan before telling Optimus to carry Knockout through the portal. Bee's injuries were relatively minor and could be put off until later. Knockout's injuries, however, needed to be dealt with now.

Optimus gingerly took the unconscious sports car from Bumblebee and carried him through the vortex.

Bumblebee followed the tall mech, optics glued to the Decepticon's frame. He was very worried for Knockout, seeing the amount of energon staining his frame. Only his faith in Ratchet's medical skills kept the yellow mech calm.

Once inside the silo, Optimus headed straight for the medbay so Ratchet could heal the sports car. Ratchet quickly prepped the medbay for emergency surgery, knowing that Knockout could easily have internal bleeding. He glanced quizzically at Bee when the scout dragged a chair over so he could sit near the medberth, but decided to say nothing. The ambulance didn't know the details of what had happened with MECH, but if Bee wanted to stay close to Knockout, who was he to say no? As long as he stayed out of the way.

Optimus stood off at a distance as he watched Ratchet go to work on the injured Decepticon.

+He came back to save me,+ Bee said softly.

"Came back?" Optimus echoed.

+Right after MECH ambushed us, we managed to get away. We decided to split up and go in different directions,+ Bumblebee explained. +I got caught again and was taken to their base for dissection. If Knockout hadn't come back for me, I'd be dead.+

"And that's how he received his injuries?" Optimus asked.

Bee nodded, his optics never leaving Knockout. +Silas had a gun taken from Breakdown. Knockout… wanted revenge when he saw it.+

"That explains the injuries," Ratchet muttered.

+He didn't want to leave until he killed Silas,+ Bee went on. +He aimed his own blaster and forced me to leave. I was so scared that I did.+

Optimus placed a hand on Bumblebee's shoulder when he saw the ashamed look on the scout's face. Bee didn't look up though. He didn't want to take the chance of seeing disappointment in those blue optics.

"You went back for him, Bumblebee. That's all that matters."

+Thanks, Optimus,+ Bee said softly.

Optimus gave the scout a small comforting smile.

Bee smiled back, glad that Optimus wasn't ashamed of him.

Ratchet finished patching up the Decepticon medic. "The rest is up to him now."

+Thanks for helping him, Ratchet,+ Bumblebee said.

"Only doing my job."

Knockout groaned softly as he started to wake up.

Bumblebee looked over at the sound, suddenly finding himself nervous. He hoped that Knockout didn't hate him for getting him out of there before the Decepticon had taken his revenge. As red optics began to open, blue ones locked onto them.

Knockout blinked a few times to clear his vision, then went stark-still when he realized where he was.

+Knockout?+ Bee ventured softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Stiff," was all Knockout said, a wary tone in his voice.

"You're going to be stiff for a while," Ratchet said, cleaning up. "I suggest you lay still until the solder has finished setting. I don't fix injuries caused by sheer stupidity."

'Great, so I'm stuck here,' Knockout thought.

"And just in case you get any ideas, I've already disabled your comm link and weapons," he added.

Knockout grumbled and ever-so immaturely crossed his arms as he pouted.

+Thank you,+ Bee said quietly. +For saving me.+

Knockout gave a small grunt in reply, clearly not happy with the situation he was in at the moment.

"Once you're healed up, we'll send you back to your team," Ratchet said.

"Why do I not believe you?" came Knockout's snarky reply.

+Do you believe me?+ Bumblebee asked.

"At the moment, I don't," Knockout commented.

Bee's shoulders hunched, finding that statement more hurtful than he thought it normally should.

Optimus placed a hand on his scout's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

-I already told Arcee and Bulkhead to keep the kids away,- Ratchet told Optimus. -Do you want me to put him in the brig?-

-Yes, he'll be safer there,- Optimus replied.

-Alright, though I don't think Bumblebee will like it.-

-He'll understand.-

Ratchet nodded and put a pair of stasis cuffs on Knockout, ignoring the glare the sports car gave him.

Optimus watched as Ratchet guided Knockout towards the brig.

+You're… putting him in a cell,+ Bee said quietly.

"Only for the time being. Agent Fowler will not know he's here," Optimus assured him.

Bee nodded, trusting the older mech.

Ratchet sat Knockout in the cell, being careful not to open any of his wounds. The ambulance mech set a cube of energon on the bench next to him before removing the cuffs and leaving the cell, locking the door behind him.

"I'm not going to tell you anything," Knockout told him.

"When did I ask you anything?" Ratchet retorted.

"Doesn't matter. I'm still not telling you anything."

"Whatever. Just focus on getting better. The sooner you're out of here, the better."

Knockout grumbled under his breath and glared at the floor as Ratchet left.

A few days later, Bumblebee took up the cube for Knockout. He wanted to talk to the Decepticon, but he wasn't sure how to start. Taking him his morning ration seemed like the best way. If he couldn't think of anything, he wouldn't have to try to think up an excuse as to why he was there.

Knockout seemed to be in a better mood than he was the other day. But he wasn't in much of a talking mood.

+Here's your breakfast,+ Bee said, setting the cube into the cell.

Knockout simply snorted in reply.

+Ratchet said that your injuries will be fully healed in just 3 more days. You must be happy about that.+

"Happy about what? Going back to the Nemesis where I'm ignored, where I have no one? Yeah, I'm just shaking with happiness," Knockout growled.

+If you don't like it there, why did you become a Decepticon at all?+ Bumblebee asked.

"It's a long story that I don't want to talk about," Knockout growled.

'Breakdown,' Bee thought to himself. +You don't… have to go back. You could stay here, as an Autobot,+ he said aloud.

Knockout suddenly burst out laughing and nearly fell off the berth.

+Why is that funny? I'm serious.+

"What makes you think I'd make a worthy Autobot? Do you have any idea how many of your kind I've experimented on?" Knockout asked after he finally stopped laughing.

+Optimus always says that everyone deserves a second chance,+ Bee replied simply, suppressing the shudder that the word 'experimented' brought.

"Personally, Sweet Rims is an idiot for saying that."

+Don't call Optimus an idiot!+ Bee snapped, glaring.

"He is an idiot! There are those who are way beyond redemption! I'm one of them!" Knockout shouted back.

+If you're so beyond redemption, why did you come back for me?+ Bee nearly shouted.

"I already told you, no one should suffer at the hands of MECH."

+I think that's a load of slag.+

Knockout snorted in reply.

+You're not beyond redemption, Knockout,+ Bee said quietly. +You can start over. You said yourself that you don't have anyone with the Decepticons. We all have each other here.+

Knockout sighed as he looked down at his feet rather than look at Bumblebee.

Bee sighed as well, gazing at the red mech. He had so much he wanted to say, but he didn't know how to say it, or if Knockout would even listen. The young Autobot could feel a pull in his spark towards the Decepticon. It was something he had never felt before. He was afraid to even imagine that Knockout would feel the same. The most he felt he could hope for was to convince Knockout that he didn't have to return to the Nemesis.

Knockout looked at the cube that Bumblebee had set on the flat counter with disinterest.

+It's not poisoned,+ Bee said.

Knockout chuckled softly. "I know that."

+You have a nice laugh.+

"Which one?"

+The one you just used. It's nice,+ Bee said.

Knockout found himself smiling as he looked up at Bee. He had received plenty of compliments about how he looked, but never one about his laugh. It felt good to hear.

Bee smiled back, pulling down his face mask so Knockout could see it.

Knockout's eyes widen when he saw the scout's face behind his mask.

Bee's smile faded a little bit upon seeing Knockout's expression and he glanced away self-consciously. His lower jaw had a number of scars crisscrossing with many running down to his throat. It had been over a century since Megatron had nearly torn the young Autobot apart and ripped out his vocalizer, and Ratchet had done his very best to fix his face, but the scars had never fully healed.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stared like that," Knockout said.

Bumblebee pulled his mask back up so he could use the secondary vocalizer built inside.

+I haven't taken my mask off in a long time. Optimus and Ratchet are the only ones that know what I look like without it.+

"Then why show me?"

+I don't really know,+ Bee admitted. +I just felt like I should.+

"Whatever your reason, thanks for showing me," Knockout said quietly.

+You're welcome.+

Knockout gave Bee a small smile before looking away again.

+Please stay here,+ Bee said in a near whisper. +I don't want you to go.+

"G-give me some time to think about it," Knockout requested.

+Alright,+ Bee replied. +I have to get back to monitor duty. Let me know when you decide.+

"Of course," Knockout said.

Bumblebee turned and headed out of the brig, giving one last glance over his shoulder.

Knockout continued to look down at the floor, lost in his own thoughts.

It had been a long time since anyone had looked at him the way Bumblebee had. No one had wanted Knockout around for himself. Megatron just wanted him to fight Autobots and fix Vehicons, Starscream wanted someone to vent to about Megatron, and Soundwave ignored him completely. Any Vehicons that got up the bolts to approach him only wanted a simple frag. Only Breakdown had wanted to be with Knockout for the simple reason of being with him.

Breakdown had become more than just a friend to the Decepticon medic. He had become his confidant, his lover.

The former Wrecker was always there when Knockout needed him. He had been the only one that could make him laugh and always seemed to know when the red mech was upset. Losing him had been the worst thing in Knockout's life.

'What would you do, Breaky? Would you stay here? Without you, I have no ties to the DEcepticons anymore.'

Sniffling quietly, Knockout put his head in his hands before he started shaking. Tears pooled in his optics before they started to flow down his cheeks. The red mech sobbed heavily, the pain in his spark as sharp now as it was the day Breakdown died. He curled up on the berth and wrapped his arms around himself.

'What do I do? I don't know what I'm doing anymore.'

Closing his optics, Knockout imagined Breakdown pulling him into his arms. The former Wrecker would stroke the smaller mech's audio fins until he calmed down. Then he would smile and ask what was wrong before trying to help him with his problem.

'I know you, Breaky. You always tried to do what you thought was right. Tell me. Tell me, please,' he pleaded. 'Please, tell me what I should do.'

Out of nowhere a warm breeze swept through the cell. It blew over Knockout's frame like a gentle caress and dried his tears. To the sports car's utter amazement, he could hear Breakdown's voice whispering to him.

'Just follow your spark, Knockout. The rest will figure itself out.'

Knockout froze, his optics wide with shocked surprise. He looked over his shoulder, almost hoping to see Breakdown.

But of course there was no one there. Another tear rolled down his cheek as he thought about what he had heard. Sniffling in defeat, Knockout shook his head and curled back up on the berth.

'Follow my spark? A lot easier said than done, Breaky.'

'You'll find a way. You always do,' came the soft reply.

Knockout choked back a sob, covering his face with his hands. Breakdown WAS there. Not in body, but in spark. 'I miss you so much.'

'I miss you too. But we will be together one day. That I promise.'

'Would you stay? Bumblebee said he didn't want me to go.'

'I don't know what I should do,' the soft voice admitted.

'No one has looked at me like he did since you died,' Knockout whispered.

'Then do what you think is right.'

Knockout sat there quietly after that, thinking about everything that had happened. Right as he was drifting into recharge, he came to a decision.

'I will always be with you, my beloved Knockout,' Breakdown whispered. He then kissed the side of Knockout's helm before vanishing.

A single tear ran down the red mech's cheek as he slept.

Optimus entered the brig the next morning. Now that Knockout had recovered from his injuries, Ratchet determined he was fit to be set loose.

Knockout was sitting on the berth, gazing at his hands. He glanced up when the large mech entered. "Prime."

"Knockout," he replied with a curt nod.

"Bumblebee probably didn't tell you, but he asked me to stay. As an Autobot," Knockout said softly.

"Bumblebee told us."

"What did you say to him?"

"That is was up to you."

Knockout looked at Optimus in surprise. That was definitely not the response he had been expecting.

"You'd let me stay? After everything I've done?"

"Yes. I believe that with your help, we could end this war."

Knockout mulled that over for a minute. "I'd… like to stay."

Optimus nodded once to hide his smile. "Very well."

"May I tell Bumblebee myself?"

"Of course," Optimus said before opening the cell.

Knockout stood and exited the cell. It felt odd standing so close to the Autobot leader without weapons blazing. But he trusted that the large mech wouldn't do anything to harm him. Trust. That in itself felt odd. How long had it been since he lost his trust in others? Yet he trusted Optimus without a second thought.

Optimus led the red sports car out of the brig and into the main room. Knockout's optics quickly picked out Bumblebee's yellow paint sitting at a small table, though no one else was there. The sports car was grateful for that.

'I wonder if Knockout had made his decision yet?' Bee thought as he took a sip from his cube.

Knockout crossed the room to stand behind the scout. "Bumblebee."

Bee jumped a little, not expecting to hear Knockout's voice.

"I've made my decision," Knockout said. "I want to stay if you'll have me."

Bee couldn't help it. He was so happy and excited that his mask slid back and he pulled Knockout into a kiss.

Knockout stiffened in surprise fhad expected Knockout to push him away. He couldn't be happier that he wasn't.

Bee's engine purred happily as the kiss was returned. He while. 'I guess I've finally found a place to truly belong.'

Knockout held Bumblebee close, feeling content for the first time in a longor a moment before melting into the kiss. He wrapped his arms around the yellow scout and kissed him back.

'Welcome to the Autobots, Knockout,' Optimus thought, a soft smile on his face as he watched the 2 young mechs hold each other. 'Now how am I going to tell the others?'

THE END.


End file.
